According to one reviewer, "The dual insights -- author and protagonist -- and the way these eventually meld make this a fascinating study of an interesting couple."
The Best Christmas Ever
Silver Publishing (December 5, 2011)
ISBN: 9781920502416
Excerpt:
They had met during the holidays, a day or two after Christmas, watching children sled down the big hill in the park. Brandon liked watching kids play. It made him nostalgic for his own not especially happy childhood. The man standing next to him, though, seemed almost jealous of them, as if he wished he could join in the game.
"Looks like fun, doesn't it?" Brandon had said.
"It is fun!"
"You go sledding?"
"I would if I had kids. Grownups don't go sledding by themselves."
"Why not?"
"People would laugh at me."
"What if they do? That's their problem." Then, on an impulse, Brandon said, "I will if you will."
"What? Go sledding?" Brandon nodded. "But we don't have sleds."
"There's a toy store half a block from the park."
"Yeah, I know the one you mean."
"We can buy sleds there. You know, those round plastic trays. They can't cost that much."
The man looked at him, unable to tell if he were serious or joking. Then his face lit up. "Let's do it!" He could hardly contain his excitement.
"I'm Brandon."
"I'm Donnie."
Donnie became very voluble on their walk to the store. His talk was all about children's games, not work or sports or the other things men talk about with other men. It was only natural, given the circumstances. Brandon had no reason to suspect Donnie's childishness was anything but a grown man in a silly mood. He found it engaging.
Two hours of going up and down the hill left them soaked to the skin and frozen to the bone. Donnie was shivering. His cheeks were pinker than Santa's and his nose was running.
"We'd better stop now or we'll come down with pneumonia," Brandon said.
"Just once more…" he pleaded. Like a little boy begging for permission.
"Go ahead if you want. I've had enough."
"You'll wait for me, though, won't you? Just once. I promise."
"Okay. I'll wait."
They walked together to the edge of the park. "You take the subway too?" Donnie asked.
"No, I live just a couple of blocks away." Then a thought occurred to him. "Do you have a long ride?"
"About forty-five minutes."
"But you're all wet! Look, why don't you come over to my place?" It must have been his day for doing things on the spur of the moment.
"Your place?"
"Sure, why not? I'll throw your clothes in the dryer, we can have some hot coffee to warm up—"
"I like hot chocolate more."
"Okay then, hot chocolate. How about it?"
Donnie hesitated. "Gee, I don't know…"
"You won't be imposing."
"All right," he said, less enthusiastically than he had agreed to the sledding. He seemed almost distrustful.
Brandon wondered if the man had caught on he was gay. Hardly anyone ever did. In any case, it wasn't why he had asked Donnie home. Nothing could have been further from his thoughts.
http://bookworld.editme.com/AnelViz
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2 comments:
Ahh, nice. I like the Christmas season much better also. This story reminded me that all my men were met during the bitter cold winter months when things were more conducive to sharing and warming up from the frigid chilliness outside. I hardly ever met anyone in the summer, much too hot, I suppose. Or maybe I'm not friendly during the summer and I really didn't want to be bothered. Oh well, lonely summers are good too but winter is so much better. Anyway, was born in November, that probably has something to do with it. I like winter! Time to get screwed or do some screwing!
Smooth as a cup of hot chocolate on a winter day. And the characters are intriguing. It's interesting, Anel, that you share my fondness for characters a bit out of the Alpha-male mainstream, makes for more interesting reading, I think. Plus I do like Christmas, though my holiday cheer runs out rather quickly.
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